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Soy-chosis: The Strange but True Origin of How a Bean Became Demonized by a Nation (and Beyond)
Tofu turns boys into girls and more disinformation from a radically nostalgic, dangerously influential organization
When I was in seventh grade, I got a chocolate milkshake in my middle school cafeteria at lunch. My friend, who I presumed knew all the ins-and-outs of everything related to our school because her father was vice principal, told me, “You know, that’s made with soybeans.” She raised an eyebrow, waiting for the news to sink in and was instantly rewarded with my dramatic display. I can only imagine what I looked like: A classic double-take, honed from years of watching Warner Bros. cartoons, as I beheld the milkshake I’d happily guzzled not moments with fresh, newly disgusted eyes. Wordlessly, I slid my cup across the table over to her and she, smiling victoriously, wasted no time in sipping where I’d left off. (It was actually masterful comic timing.) She’d just collected a delicious free milkshake with a minimum of effort. As we said back in the ‘80s: Score!
As I write this, I am trying to go back to explore what fueled my response when I found out that the milkshake I thought I was consuming was soy instead of dairy and I am trying to give that 13-year-old a seat at the…
